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| Rembrandt |
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Chapter 15 is the heart of the Gospel of Luke. Luke introduces a series of parables that illustrates Jesus' habit of eating with sinners. Jesus chooses to give selective attention to this group of people in the society of his day. They contribute to one of the major themes of Luke, namely, the love and mercy of God toward sinful humanity, as well as the call to repentance. A theme of the message of Jesus is the nature of God, who rejoices when one who has strayed finds the way home. The good news is the stray being brought home (v. 5), the lost being found (v. 9), the acceptance of the child into the house of the father (v. 11-32), and the father running to meet the lost child and kissing him (v. 20), putting on him the best garment, ring, and shows that are a mark of the free person (v. 22), and celebrating the one who has returned (v. 25). The metaphors and parables are pictures of forgiveness and the restoration of communion with God. the God whom Jesus preaches is the Father of those who are small and lost, a God whose purpose it is to have dealings with sinners and who rejoices with soteriological joy when a sinner finds the way home.[1] From now to the end of the travel account Luke reveals a special concern for the outcasts. Therefore, Jesus is popular with the crowds but also attracts complaints from the Pharisees and scholars. For Luke, Jesus goes in quest of things that are lost, which illustrates God's concern for sinners.
Chapter 15 of the gospel of Luke contains the setting of three parallel parables that are three parts of one parable (15:3). The emphasis of the parables is on restoring relationships between God and others. By gaining a greater understanding of the setting of Jesus’ comments about a lost sheep and a lost coin which we find in the first two scenes of the parable, we can better comprehend the significance of the actions of various groups and individuals (“sinners,” Pharisees and scribes, and Jesus) in this gospel. Luke 15:1-10 highlights the motifs of sacrificial pursuit, restoration, and rejoicing, and how they accentuate theological and sociological themes of Jesus’ ministry as told in Luke’s gospel.
Part of the power these stories generate depends on the three different degrees of narrative style Luke employs. On the first level, there is the narrative of the author to the reader. The second level of narration recalls that Jesus is also speaking to a specific gathered audience of scribes and Pharisees, tax collectors and sinners. Finally, on the third level of narration, there is the interior dialogue of the characters that inhabit the parables themselves.
These three parables continue the emphasis of the parable of the great dinner (14:15-24) of the openness of the invitation of Jesus. This is evident in the dynamic of Jesus extending hospitality to sinners, the choice of a shepherd and a housewife as heroes of their respective parables, and the refrain of rejoicing and joy at a party that plays throughout both parables. In this context, the openness of the invitation to gather at a meal is typical of the hospitality Jesus extended.
Jesus will justify his conduct by the conduct of God, doing so as a representative of God.[2] The religious authorities correctly assess that sinners put accompaniment and community at risk. Their religious solution is to reject and exclude for protection from sinners. Jesus’ righteous solution is to restore and include for the transformation of sinners. Jesus regarded the loving and saving address of God to us as the purpose of his sending. He believed that by his own sending the Father was addressing the lost. These three parables defend the message and work of Jesus to the lost. The parables portray God as the one who seeks what is lost and who in so doing displays the self-attesting love of the Father. They show the search that reveals the divine love that takes place through the work and message of Jesus. The search by God for the lost became an event in the life of Jesus.[3] God shows a parental quality in being ready to extend forgiveness to those who turn to God.[4] In this chapter, we find the source of the message of Jesus in the love of God for the lost individual. Such love of God for the lost seeks to draw us into the dynamic of the love of God and give us a share in it. We do not find this emphasis on the individual in pre-Christian antiquity. All of us in our individuality are now infinitely precious beings because we are the objects of the eternal love of God. As he sees it, the root of modern human rights is here.[5]
Verses 1-3 is an introduction provided by Luke for the parables of the lost in this chapter.[6]
Luke notes that tax collectors and sinners were listening to Jesus. Pharisees grumble against his posture of welcoming sinners by eating with them. This chapter will deal with how and why Jesus included such persons in his table fellowship. Thus, one can never overestimate the importance of gospel narratives that place Jesus at a table because whenever Jesus is around food, the story shows him serving up lessons about the reign of God. To enact such hospitality is to initiate a kind of generosity that his critics considered as time wasted on the unrighteous or, even worse, crosses the line into unacceptable religious behavior with sinners. Jesus enacts a gracious hospitality that is prodigal. However, his prodigality signals that religious rituals and rules are a waste of time if they do not edify and encourage relationships of care among people. By addressing this group, Jesus revealed the nature of the participation in salvation that his message of the nearness of the rule of God effected in those who received it. The participation is from God, and it means the rescuing of the lost. Those who accept the message are no longer outcasts. They share in the salvation of the rule of God. The presence of salvation relates to the removal of the barrier that separates from God. The turning of Jesus to tax gatherers and sinners makes it clear that sinners are included in the saved community.[7] When he accepted invitations from others, he made known his readiness to grant fellowship with him to those who issued the invitation. Some contemporaries thought this to be especially scandalous in some cases because by his participation the table fellowship that he granted or accepted became a sign of the presence of the rule of God that he proclaimed and a sign of the acceptance of the other participants into the future community of salvation.[8]
Luke is preparing us for the parable of the prodigal son. The rule of God has a certain kind of prodigality, illustrated in the way Jesus extended hospitality to sinners. Pharisees and scribes were grumbling about how Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them, disclosing the attitude of Jesus to those who were religious and social outcasts, the tax collectors, and sinners. Such a designation of these persons by the opponents of Jesus was reserved for those engaged in despised trades. Further, the family of God appears in table fellowship, which is an anticipation of the meal of salvation at the consummation, which helps us understand why the opponents of Jesus raise the issue of to whom Jesus extends table fellowship. We get a hint of their dismay as they reject the message of Jesus.[9] The religious leaders with whom Jesus is dealing were right in that sin always threatens community. Their solution was to lock certain people out of their community. Yet, Jesus was going out to find the lost and bring them in. These parables explain the inclusion of tax collectors and sinners in the table fellowship of Jesus. Luke sets tax collectors and sinners in opposition with the Pharisees and the scribes. The tax collectors and sinners coming to listen, while the Pharisees and scribes come grumbling. These two verses bring together two important themes that have been building throughout the gospel. First, the conclusion of the parables of chapter 14 ends with “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” (14:35). The parables in Chapter 15 at least imply the continued emphasis on hearing what Jesus is saying (and by implication, acting upon it). As one who “welcomes sinners and eats with them,” Jesus is also one who teaches those “sinners,” and they “listen” to him, thus showing their role as disciples or followers of Jesus (cf. 14:25-35). Second, the accusation of the Pharisees and the scribes, of Jesus both welcoming and eating with sinners, echoes a previous accusation in Luke (5:30-32) where the same group asks Jesus’ disciples about these actions. There Jesus proclaims, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance” (5:31-32). This conversation occurs immediately after Jesus has called Levi, the tax collector, to be his disciple (5:27-29) and Levi hosts a banquet in Jesus’ honor. While the physical setting is not the same in chapter 15 in that Jesus is not pictured at a meal with either tax collectors and sinners (5:29-39) or with Pharisees and scribes (7:36-50), the theme of hospitality and welcoming pervades chapters 14-16 (e.g., 14:21-23 and 16:19-31).
Thus, one can never overestimate the importance of gospel narratives that place Jesus at a table because whenever Jesus is around food, the story shows him serving up lessons about the reign of God. introduce two signature teaching methods that Jesus employs to illustrate what God’s reign is like — indiscriminately sharing food and using an occasion of controversy as the starting point for telling parables. The controversy emerges from the Pharisees and scribes’ concern that Jesus openly welcomes sinners to eat together with him. This flies in the face of practices that regulate the purity of table fellowship. To enact such hospitality is to initiate a kind of generosity that his critics considered as time wasted on the unrighteous or, even worse, crosses the line into unacceptable religious behavior with sinners. Jesus enacts a gracious hospitality that is prodigal. However, his prodigality signals that religious rituals and rules are a waste of time if they do not edify and encourage relationships of care among people. By addressing this group, Jesus revealed the nature of the participation in salvation that his message of the nearness of the rule of God effected in those who received it. The participation is from God, and it means the rescuing of the lost. Those who accept the message are no longer outcasts. They share in the salvation of the rule of God. The presence of salvation relates to the removal of the barrier that separates from God. The turning of Jesus to tax gatherers and sinners makes it clear that sinners are included in the saved community.[10] The criticism of the behavior of Jesus at meals arose from his conduct and that of his disciples. When he accepted invitations from others, he made known his readiness to grant fellowship with those who issued the invitation. Some contemporaries thought this to be especially scandalous in some cases because by his participation the table fellowship that he granted or accepted became a sign of the presence of the rule of God that he proclaimed and a sign of the acceptance of the other participants into the future community of salvation.[11]
As Luke sets the scene for this parable, Jesus may purposely test the boiling point of the increasingly disturbed scribes and Pharisees who were keeping a close eye on Jesus' growing popularity. Just as the Pharisees criticized the behavior of Jesus, this father "welcomes sinners and eats with them." Immediately preceding this, Luke relates two other parables of "lostness."
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 contains a brief introduction by Luke and the parable of the prodigal son.
In verses 11-32, the parable is pure narrative without an application. The purpose is to make plain the fatherly goodness of God, which unconditionally forgives self-condemning remorse.[12] It expresses the paradox and contrast of the lost son having his rights restored and the one who stayed at home being alienated from his father. In doing so, Jesus shows the way in which the pious person can be removed from God by thinking too well of themselves and thereby devalues sin by moralism. Repentance here is the lost son finding the way home to his father, so repentance here is learning to say Abba again, putting one’s trust in the heavenly Father, returning to the house of the Father and to the embrace of the Father.[13] The body of this lengthy parable contains numerous fascinating nuances that testify to Luke's storytelling prowess and finesse. A brief overview can catch only a few of the author's juicy tidbits. Note how Luke uses Hellenistic images and information to add realism to the story. In context, there is the additional emphasis on God's joy at finding what was lost. Jesus, the kingdom preacher, expresses the divine willingness to accept the repentant sinner into the kingdom. Jesus is the herald of a loving Father who shows mercy to the repentant sinner. The heart of the message of Jesus was announcing the nearness of the divine reign, but Jesus called this God the heavenly Father. In Jesus, God shows himself to be the Father who is ready to forgive those who turn to him.[14] Jesus regarded the loving and saving address of God to us, and particularly to the needy and the lost among us, as the purpose of his sending. He believed that by his sending, the Father was addressing the lost. In this parable, Jesus is defending addressing his message and work to the lost. The parable portrays God as the one who seeks what is lost and who in so doing displays the self-attesting love of the Father. The search reveals the divine love that takes place through the work and message of Jesus.[15] The point of the parable is in the contrast between the delight of a father at the return of his disgraceful son and the rude attitude of the respectable older brother.[16]
11 “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ Luke uses Greek legal language to describe the younger son's demand to his father. Although it was not unusual for a father to distribute property in advance, as in the case of marriage, Jesus strongly implies that the younger son’s demand is disrespectful, rebellious and foolish — a clear violation of the commandment to honor one’s parents (Exodus 20:12). In a culture where family and community always took priority over the individual, the kid’s self-centered demand would have raised the eyebrows of those hearing the parable for the first time. Yet despite the legalese (or perhaps because of it), scholars still wrangle over what exactly was due to a son who would make such a demand. In addition, we wonder what legal and moral responsibilities would remain between this father and son once this division of property occurred. Whatever the cultural standards or legal implications associated with early inheritance, the younger son cast them aside. Therefore, he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had, that is, he converted his inheritance to cash, and traveled to a distant country, left home, family and any obligations far behind, and there he squandered his property in dissolute (aswtwV can be "extravagant" or "reckless") living. The fall of the son is rapid, complete, and catastrophic. The boy's fortunes deteriorate. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 Therefore, he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. This son has spirit. He moves on to get a job, even as a temporary hireling, working not for wages, but only for the food he needs. Note that only the extreme desperateness of his situation that finally brings this son to consider returning home. Luke's language in verse 14-16 is coarse and colloquial when he describes how the son would have loved to eat the disgusting food he was giving to the pigs. (Some scholars profess to be able to see signs of a hasty scribal attempt to clean it up). Working for a Gentile and playing servant to swine was the bottom of all possible Jewish barrels. 17 Nevertheless, when he came to himself, the turning point, which in the Greek would mean he returned to a rational state of mind, but the underlying Aramaic would mean that he repented, as he goes on to affirm his guilt,[17] he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! Luke's phrasing of how the young man "came to himself" is one of the few Semitisms in this parable. It literally means, "to repent." 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” ’ While the son's "confession" sounds contrite and genuine enough, a careful examination of the thought process that led him to this confession reveals only one clear motivating force: hunger. The son decides to return home and throw himself on his father's mercy only because he feels he is starving to death. 20 Therefore, he set off and went to his father. However, while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Here is the vindication Jesus for his behavior toward tax collators and sinners, for his behavior is consistent with the nature of God. God is like the father who runs to meet his lost son and stops him from following his plan to ask to be treated as a day-laborer. Jesus justifies his own mercy upon sinners, his own preaching of forgiveness in word and action, by referring to the mercy of God on sinners. The scandalous conduct of Jesus is actualizing the love of God. he is claiming to act as the representative of God. the love of God for them is made real in his proclamation and in to whom he extends table fellowship.[18] The father's impetuous forgiveness of the approaching son may appear to offer the boy forgiveness without repentance. Nevertheless, the son had already privately voiced his change of heart and mind. The father's welcome and forgiveness (the embrace and the kiss) occur before the son's confession. Much kissing means much love, much forgiveness, full restoration, exceeding joy, overflowing comfort, strong assurance, and intimate communion.[19] 21 Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ Even more telling is the fact that the earlier Masoretic text has the father cut the son's "confession" off midway, as he excitedly calls his servants to tend to the young man. 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one, a symbolic language of the Bible that proclaims the dawn of the time of salvation[20]—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet, the new clothing being a picture of forgiveness and the restoration of communion with God.[21] Such gifts bear all marks of the son's fully restored place of honor and authority in the household.
Let us pause to consider what we have read. The failure of the younger son is total. He begins his failure by having his hand out toward his father, demanding his share of his inheritance now. Is he saying he wishes his father were dead? We do not know, but he might be. He is clearly violating the command to honor parents. He has placed himself among the “sinners” whom scribes and Pharisees accuse Jesus of befriending. He fails again when he goes to Gentile country and squanders or scatters his property by living a wild and undisciplined lifestyle. He departs far from a Jewish life, becoming a worker on a pig farm. Pigs were unclean for Jews (Lev 11:7; Deut 14:8). Sitting among the pigs, hungry and destitute, would qualify as a major failure. Yet, the pigsty becomes a place of personal insight or revelation. It becomes the setting for the event that would change his life. Notice, though, that at least initially it is more of a pragmatic decision than a penitential one. He is a hired hand to the pig farmer and gets nothing, so he figures that if he goes home, he can at least get hired on to the family business and get what the other servants are getting, which is better than pig fodder. Yes, he will have to do a mea culpa, but at least he will have a full belly. When the boy is still far from home, his dad spies him off in the distance. Setting aside his status as a patriarch and landowner, the father hikes up his robes, and sprints out to greet his son. I can imagine Jesus using some humor and acting this out. Yet, in the context of first century Judaism, the audience for this parable may have viewed the father as the largest failure. The father surrendered his property to a rebellious child. Running in public as he did was the height of undignified behavior for the patriarch of a family. To do so to embrace a son who has dishonored dad was even less dignified. The son had disowned himself from the family. We see no rebuke. We see no attempt to make sure the son has learned his lesson. We see no justice. Dad is a failure in the eyes of scribes and Pharisees. When the young man begins the speech, he had planned for this moment, his dad is not listening. Dad does not want to hear about his son's mistakes. He does not need the young man to debase himself. Instead, the father is overjoyed. The true treasure he had lost when his son left home has returned to him. Calling for robes, rings and fatted calves, the father demonstrates that he sees in his son treasure, not trash. The love of the father transforms the son. Many of us can put ourselves in the young man's place. We, too, have a voice inside of us that only wants to dwell on the garbage in our lives. We have made mistakes, and we hear repeatedly that, like a discarded bottle or can, whatever was of value inside of us we have already poured out. Nothing valuable remains. God is interested in redeeming creation, including human beings who have wasted their lives. God sees value in each of us, even when we are far away from God intended for our lives. God has not abandoned us. God has not tossed us aside. God loves us and knows our worth. When we turn toward God, God sprints toward us, embraces us, and welcome us home.
The father tells his servants to 23 get the fatted calf, symbolizing a truly special and festive occasion, and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again, a metaphor for what has happened in forgiveness and restoring the son to communion with God; he was lost and is found, brought home like a stray animal, a second metaphor for what has happened, which is forgiveness and restoration of communion with God! repentance is returning home to the house of the Father. A lost child has found his way home. A dead person has come alive again, for resurrection is a proper metaphor here because there is life only in the sphere of the royal rule of God, a lost member of the herd has been found.’ Responding to the good news and joining the community Jesus is forming means leaving the world of death for the world of life.[22] Moreover, they began to celebrate. The father's reaction is so overwhelmingly joyous, so unexpectedly elated, that the reader is rightly stunned. In verses 20-24, the emphasis of Paul on the goodness, grace, and favor of God shown in the Son continues the theme of the preaching of Jesus that by his message and in his work, the Father shows us the mercy that pardons our sins.[23] The meals Jesus held or shared characterized his coming and the conduct of his disciples. When he accepted invitations from others, he made known his readiness to grant fellowship with him to those who issued the invitation. The granting of acceptance of table fellowship by Jesus removed everything that separated people from God and his salvation. It meant the forgiveness of sins, so that table fellowship was a real symbol of fellowship with God and of participation in the future of the divine kingdom. The re-acceptance of the prodigal came to expression in the feast that the father prepared for him.[24] Preaching of the imminence of the rule of God opens participation in eschatological salvation. In this fact, Jesus sees a demonstration of the love of God that seeks the lost, in keeping with the goodness of the Creator. The goodness of the Creator becomes saving love in the sending of Jesus to announce imminent divine rule, which we see in this parable at the saving of the lost. Forgiving love that has reached its goal finds expression in this joy.[25]
Jesus had a reputation of making friends with “sinners.” The reception that the son receives seems typical of Jesus, in that he commends throwing a party. The story represents the reconciliation of Judean with Judean. The central figure is the Father. Originally, Jesus may have intended a story of God's welcoming back a repentant person, not allowing the "faithful" elder brother to hinder that love.
However, no one had even gone to fetch this older son from the fields where he was working so that he might join in the festivities. The elder son is not yet a part of this celebration. In fact, he does not even learn of it or of his brother's return until after he has finished his day's work in the fields. This part of the parable is an abrupt change, but completely within the parable. It does not differ in context from the first part but rather makes plain by contrast the paradoxical character of divine forgiveness.[26] It illustrates the lack of comprehension the opponents of Jesus had of his message, who have no love for their lost brothers and sisters. One who thinks too well of himself no longer takes seriously the other person, for such a person despises the other person and believes himself to be better than the other.[27] 25 “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing, in honor of the lost child who has returned, finding his way home, a metaphor of forgiveness and restoration of communion with God.[28] 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. The invitation extended to the elder brother is important, for it offers the message of Jesus to the Jewish people. The anger of the elder son is instant. This son is so enraged that he will not even step foot in the house. Yet, we learn much about the father. The father’s love had driven him out of his house and down the road to welcome home his younger son. Now, the love the father feels for his older son again pulls him out the door and into the fields to be with him in his anger. The older son, representing the religious leaders of the Jewish people, shows incredulousness at the behavior of the father.[29] 29 But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ The confrontational tone he takes with his father is neither respectful nor obedient. He clearly thinks his father has failed miserably as head of the household. Big brother wants justice and retribution on his brother. He even refuses to acknowledge his blood relationship to his brother, identifying him only as "this son of yours." The older son pours forth what we might call his "righteous indignation." The older brother is going to remind dad and his brother of past sins. He will remind them the boy is trash.
Sadly, we may have people like that in our lives, who remind us of our failures. Too many churches have done this to people. One dimension of this story that receives little to no attention is that the younger brother also left the older brother, not just his father. The older brother has formed a resentful spirit toward his younger brother. I wonder if he ever pondered how lost he had become while he harbored such resentment in his mind and heart. Resentment is a deep form of becoming spiritually lost. Granted, the younger son is lost in a spectacular way. He gives in to us lust and greed. He uses women, gambles, and loses his money. His wrong-doing, his failure, is present for all to see. Eventually, even the younger son sees his failure. The problem with resentment is that its effect in moving us toward becoming spiritually lost is not so spectacular. Rather than being open for all to see, this form of a lost and wasted life can have the outward appearance of a holy life. Resentment sits deep within us. We are not conscious it is there. We think we are so good. In fact, however, resentment has brought us to a lost spiritual place in a very profound way. [30]
Yet, the father does not listen to the elder son. 31 Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life (v. 24); he was lost and has been found (v. 24).’ ” The lost child has found his way home; the return home is a resurrection from the dead, because there is life only in the sphere of the royal rule of God. wherever people are won over by the good news and join the community Jesus is forming, they leave the world of death for the world of life.[31] The father refuses to be shocked. His eyes and heart remain rigidly fixed on what he sees as the only important fact about this missing younger son - he is found, and he is alive. Dad treasures both sons. He invites the elder son to join the party. The father is inviting his older son to forgive his brother for abandoning them. The older brother lives in the prison of his resentment and needs liberation.[32] The older brother long ago could have practiced the art of forgiveness. While still acknowledging the hurt the younger brother caused, he could have wished his younger brother well.[33] In fact, he could have learned an important truth concerning love among human beings. Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look that becomes a habit.[34]
The story ends with no sentence pronounced by Jesus. Jesus is extending an invitation to his opponents to join him in celebrating entry of the dead and lost into the community, in which they will receive forgiveness and restoration of their relationship with God. the parable describes with touching simplicity what is God is like in goodness, grace, mercy, and love. God rejoices over the return of the lost, like the father who prepared the feast of welcome. However, in describing the protest of the elder son to the actions of the father, a division emphasized by the repetition of the dead and lost theme in verses 24 and 32. Jesus added this second section because of the situation he faced, addressing people who were like the elder son, people who were offended at the gospel. He appeals to their conscience: Behold the greatness of the love of God for lost children, and contrast it with your own joyless, loveless, thankless, and self-righteous lives. cease then from your loveless ways and be merciful. The spiritually dead are rising to new life, the lost are returning home, so rejoice. Thus, the parable vindicates the proclamation of the good news in reply to its critics. His justification lies in the boundless love of God.in not pronouncing sentence, he still has hope of moving them to abandon their resistance to the gospel, he still hopes that they will recognize how their self-righteousness and lovelessness separate them from God, and that they may come to experience the immense joy that the good news brings. The vindication of the good news takes the form of a reproach and an appeal to the hearts of his critics. He vindicates his revolutionary conduct by claiming the love of God ot the returning sinner knows no bounds, and what Jesus does in his ministry represents the nature of God and the will of God. Jesus claims that in his actions the love of God to the repentant sinner is made effectual. The parable reveals itself as a veiled assertion of authority, as Jesus makes the claim for himself that he is acting as the representative of God.[35]
The story ends here, leaving a host of unanswered questions for the reader. What is most shocking about this parable is how it celebrates grace, even at the expense of justice. Like all good parables, we cannot contain the prodigal son story by just one explanation. The narrative takes its meaning and strength from the fact that it is a parable, a story, and as such invites others to participate in it. Fittingly, Luke's story closes with a typical parabolic ending -- which is to say "no ending." We leave the confrontation scene between father and son before hearing the son's response. It is the reader, therefore, who must provide the final reply to the father's invitation to rejoice and join the party.
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[19] Charles Spurgeon, “Many Kisses for Returning Sinners, or Prodigal Love for the Prodigal Son.” Sermon 2236.
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[32] To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. ―Lewis B. Smedes.
[33] You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well. ―Lewis B. Smedes.
[34] Peter Ustinov.
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this is good. I wonder how far we go in accepting prodigals into our church. You mentioned, when we were together, that you would have to pause and consider if you were to allow a gay person to join the church. I wonder how this tex,t and your accurate take on it, applies to that situation. Seems to me all the prodigals, you, me, gays, even politicians are to welcomed into fall (table) fellowship. Lynn Eastman
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